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Why Hiring a Team Player is So Important

What does it mean to be a team player? And from the management side of the table, what does it mean to recruit, identify, hire, and retain one? Why is this quality so celebrated in our modern workplace culture and what can you gain by setting your sights on team players and actively pursuing them?

Here are a few key answers.

Team players elevate group trust and diminish problems.

When your employees and teams can count on each other and trust that the other members of the team have their backs, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve hired confident adults who can take care of business and get the job done without your relentless oversight. Nobody’s perfect; we all make mistakes and we all have unique sets of strengths and shortcomings, but when we work together, the strengths are amplified and the shortcomings are muted. When your teams recognize this fact, you can turn your attention away now and then and trust that your group will take care of each other and work together to excel. That means reduced backbiting, infighting, and petty competition, all of which form a drain on the team—and on you.

Team players put the group first.

When a given member of your group wants to be rewarded, wants attention, wants to sleep late on a Monday morning, or wants to go home early before the job is done, the impulse can be very human and very strong. Each of these desires can take the wheel at any time (we’ve all felt this), but team players know when and how to overcome them and show up when they’re needed. This can have a powerful influence on your group culture and a positive cascading effect on your bottom line.

Team players are hard to find but worth every penny.

Some employers mistake “team players” for doormats who will cheerfully accept low pay, mistreatment, or poor working conditions in exchange for the “good of the team.” It’s best not to fall into this trap. Team players are not doormats or exploitable resources; they are invaluable workers with strong social

skills, and these skills contribute immeasurably to the workplace. Compensate them fairly and treat them well, and you’ll benefit from having them on board. Take advantage of them, and they will easily find opportunities elsewhere.

For more on how to find and hire team players that can drive your company forward, contact the hiring experts at PSU.

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